Laughter in the dark
by starshaker
Summary: Stiles is a fae. A trickster spirit with too much curiosity for his own good and a knack for getting into trouble. When he's just trying to help things don't go to plan and coincidences don't seem to end up for the better. Also published on AO3. /works/2660837
1. A Trickster's Meet and Greet

Stiles tripped his way gaily down the dark and narrow stone spiral staircase. There were corridors extending off down every few steps and the bells from the warning tower were sounding out and echoing down every hallway. There were shouts too, from guards and panicked servants as they took cover in rooms and alcoves save getting between the lord's guards and their prey. Stiles keened his hearing at the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing approaching up towards him and ducked into a shallow alcove just as they turned the corner in front of him. The shadows wrapped around him as his request and they of course saw nothing. Stiles easily continued on his way as soon as they'd passed by, he smiled to himself. Their heavy boots infinitely louder than Stiles' light steps; if they were going to catch him he'd be the one to have to make a mistake.

Two flights further down Stiles stepped out he came upon a soldier stood in position stood just inside an alcove. He jumped the few steps down to him landing squarely facing him. Before the soldier had the impulse to reach out or strike Stiles saluted him with a grin and jumped down several more stairs and disappeared into the dark. He could hear the guard shouting in an attempt to raise the alarm to his comrades but Stiles was already too far away for it to be a threat to his mischief. In reality he could have passed that guard without them ever noticing him, but what was the fun in that?

He made his exit from the stairwell and suddenly found himself face to face with two more guards. Humorously, there was one tall guard and one shorter, wider guard. Their armour glinted in the dim moon light coming through the windows behind them and by the candle burning beside the doorway. Under their helmets Stiles could see a smirk showing on the taller man's face. Stiles couldn't resist smirking back.

"Hello boys," He said sweetly.

"Guess you've run out of luck," The taller one sneered. "Can't wait to play with you," He said stalking forwards slowly.

"Y'know I'm sure we'd have fun," Stiles countered as he stepped forwards himself closing the gap. A movement in the shadows just past them caught his eye and a small familiar face appeared from behind a statue. Stiles refocused on his attackers making sure to keep their attention on him, "But I'm afraid just haven't got the time to stick around today," He dived left as the shorter of the two grabbed for him and then as the taller lunged he jumped, higher than any human could and the guard threw himself forwards of his own accord, landing hand on the floor with a clatter of sword and chain mail. Stiles snapped his fingered and neither guard would be moving from the floor any time soon.

"Yo Sammy, kid what're you doing out here?" He said crossing over to where behind a great statue stood the indiscrete child shuffled from foot to foot nervously.

"It's not safe if you don't know what you're doing," Stiles put a hand on his shoulder carefully.

"I wanted to see what you do to them," Sammy was looping a piece of stay cotton round his fingertips as he spoke.

"It's just a bit of fun. But they could hurt you if you're not careful,"

"But 'tiles," Sammy whined looking up pleadingly. The kid was curious but stiles had been warned by his father about inspiring irresponsibility. From behind the guards groaned and Stiles could see the look on the boys face meant he wasn't ready to come face to face with a human any time soon. Let alone one of these goons in armour.

"Go on now, vanish," He waved his hand in the boy's direction and though Sammy was pouting and scowling up at Stiles, he faded into smoke and returned home. Stiles though still had things to do. His trickster habits were still buzzing inside for a thrill and he'd been itching for this target.

He ducked and dived his way illusively past a dozen or so more guards before coming across his goal: The Marquis' library. Inside held thousands of secrets only written in books hundred of years ago. Stiles had been around to see most of them then but had been foolish enough to let them slip out of his reach over the centuries. He dodged his way around the room being drawn to certain texts like they had a rare exotic aroma to them. He pulled out a thin cloth bag from his pocket and went about picking the ones he most desired. There were eight by the time he'd finished heavy in the bag which he threw over his shoulder. He was perusing shelves close to the door when he heard it creak on its hinges behind him. He stepped back into the shadows and whispered a quick concealing spell.

A soldier stepped in and after doing only the briefest sweep of the room, missing him completely Stiles could see easily in the dim moonlight coming through the windows but the soldier was even carrying a torch or candle. The soldier didn't appear concerned with continuing their search; instead they heavily leant back against one of the desks at the front of the room by the door. Stiles would have to wait to make his escape until they had moved a little further away.

From where Stiles was standing he could see their laboured movements as they placed their sword and shield down on the table beside them. He could hear their heavy breathing that was more characteristic of painful controlled gasps than physical exertion. Stiles stepped forwards, light and careful on his feet, to gain a better view as the soldier unpeeled the leather cuffs around their arm and rolled back the covering. It revealed a nasty gash the length of their forearm. Stiles silently cursed. This shouldn't have happened. He'd told his friends no injuries but apparently someone had been a little over enthused for the trip.

The soldier in front of him pressed the wound with their hand and hissed at the pain. They kept their hand tightly over the cut and bent their head right back up to stare at the ceiling, presumably attempting to ignore the pain away.

From the several metres away Stiles began to bind the skin carefully so as not to be painful, but he'd need to be closed so as not to leave a scar. Slowly Stiles stepped from the shadows. The soldier didn't notice until Stiles stepped past a beam of moonlight filtering through the window. The jumped and reached for their weapon but with a flick of his hand the sword was out of reach and harm's way.

"You shouldn't have been hurt, let me help. I can heal it," He said reaching out a hand palm up and open as a reassuring gesture. The soldier made no move to step closer and Stiles knew there were many false rumours in the human world about trickster spirits like him. It was enough to make him wonder who was perpetuating them.

"Thanks but no thanks. I could lose my life," A female soldier then, and one Stiles' fae charms hadn't settled immediately. He was almost intrigued enough to let her keep her harsh snapping words while he worked.

"So distrustful," Stiles waved his hand and the soldier dropped to the floor as if in slow motion. Stiles crossed quickly and brought up a hand to rest a hand on the back of her neck and ease her down to stop her from landing uncomfortably. He crouched over her and ran a thumb gentle over her wound. The soldier's eyes glared up at him. "Have a little faith in fae kind," He whispered. He placed his hand firmly over the now vanishing mark on her arm and it was soon returned to unblemished skin.

"I'm Stiles, by the way. And I really mean it when I say that no one was supposed to get hurt here," He waved his hand as if signing his name in the air above her body, ending the spell keeping her still and she was able to move again. Her first impulse it seemed was moving slightly further away from where he knelt beside her before crouching and standing, never taking her eyes off him.

"I can't spare you," She warned him stepping backwards carefully until Stiles knew she would be able to reach for her weapon.

"You can if you can't catch me," He countered throwing a hand out which sent her sword flying across the room into the dark and in a flash he'd grabbed the bag of texts. He foolishly thought he was out of harms way when she'd gone to retrieve her sword and Stiles slipped out of the door, immediately crashing into the back of another guard.

"Cora are you-," The guard's words disappeared as he stared down into Stiles' eyes

"Oh, yeah, hi," He grinned and waved childishly. The guard's hand shot out grabbed him by the shoulder and Stiles squeaked in surprise as the door dug into his back sharply.

"If you've hurt her you'll never stop paying," The guard growled and Stiles was sorely distracted by quelling the temptation to reach up and stroke his hand down this guy's face to ease the tension there. It was more than aggression it was a fire and energy that was in this man's very skin. Stiles cocked his head to one side.

"Then lucky for you she's actually better than when I first met her," The guard shoved Stiles back into the door again and held his arm tight across Stiles' neck. Stiles deadpanned and stared back at him. "You don't think I could get out of this if I wanted to? I'm actually pretty benevolent as trickster spirits come and go,"

"Why are you here?"

"Reading material," Stiles shrugged the shoulder with the bag hanging from it. The guy in front of him frowned confused. Distantly down the corridor he heard the laughs and squeals of his partners in crime and Stiles' eyes flickered from the direction the sounds were coming from back to the guy's face mere inches from his. He actually wanted to stay and play with this one. He seemed serious enough Stiles could have a bit of fun with him. He huffed out a chuckle under his breath at the circumstance of events before catching his foot around the guy's leg and spinning him so that Stiles was now the one pinning him down. "Oh I've got to go, but it was nice meeting you," He whispered in the guy's ear.

He shot off to the end of the corridor where he glanced back at the guy staring hopelessly after him. The girl had just opened the door beside him and was talking to him, asking if he was okay. Stiles left them to it. He was sure they'd twist the story of their encounter with him to their own gain anyway.

Stiles shot down the corridors listening to the high pitched giggles and shouts of his family and tracking them through the hallways. He finally came across a balcony overlooking a grand hall. He leant over the edge of the railing until he almost overbalanced so he could see his group of friends corralled down beneath them. The guards there were looking bloodthirsty and vicious and Stiles concern grew from wondering if they'd get out of this adventure without more bloodshed.

A slam of a door behind him told him all he needed to know about how close the guards were to his own position. He took a few steps backwards to give himself a run up and then with a hand clutching his bag close to him he jumped, somersaulting off the balcony and down onto the floor below landing in the danger zone of gap between the lord's guards and his friends. A hand grabbed his jacked and yanked him backward as a sword cut too close to his chest for comfort.

"Idiot," He heard Lydia mutter behind him. There was a fondness in her voice though so she can't have had too bad a time here. He leant back into the hand still on his tunic as a show of thanks.

"Wow," He said wobbling a bit from dizziness, "This has been fun guys but we've really got to dash," and then with a few whispered words threw a handful of what appeared to be glitter full dust up into the air. He watched as some of their attackers froze or panicked, pushing back into their comrades behind to get away from it. The distraction had worked and Stiles and his friends slipped past the confusion and out of the nearest side door.

They jumped and danced through the now more spaced out guards and down the steps of the entrance hall and outside. Stiles spotted his acquaintances from up in the library stood up on a ledge above the main courtyard. Stiles couldn't resist one more goodbye and dodged his way out and around several blades and then jumping up high to land on the stone balcony railing in front of them. The girl looked suspicious of him but though her blade was raised she didn't step forward to attack him, the guy was just staring however, no weapon no visible inclination to do him harm. Stiles paused in front of them he couldn't help but laugh. It was his favourite part to see people who didn't know how to take him. He winked at the guy and bowed low, and then fell backwards turning in the air and landing on his feet. He saw the two above him having thrown themselves to the railing to see his fate.

Over the noise Stiles caught Lydia shouting for him and as if he was only remembering the steps to a dance rather than avoiding a skewering blade he skipped ducked and spun his way out of reach of attack and was back to Scott and Lydia's side.

"Dude what are you playing at?" Scott scolded him as they ran out onto the courtyard followed by at least two dozen guards.

"The illusions are your fun, the teasing them when I know they can't catch me, that's mine. What was with the violence man?"

"Jackson got a little protective when someone snuck up on Lydia. I sent him home like with a snap but he still got in a few hits." On his other side Lydia huffed, her strawberry blonde hair flying out wildly behind her.

"He took one of their blades and used it against them. I knew they were there. Waving that thing round like he knew what he was doing. He caught one of them right across the arm as they were pulling someone else out of his way," Lydia was one of only a few of them who could wield a weapon. The rest of them largely used tricks and illusions around humans but Lydia's appearance made her an easier target in the eyes of humans. She was easily the deadliest of them all.

"And that only made them more aggressive, we almost got hit ourselves," Scott added as they skirted around the stables and knew they weren't far off from the main gate now. If they could get there they could vanish from right where they'd entered.

"Yeah I met one of them. Jeez, when he picks people to piss off," Stiles said as they stepped in close to one another just in front of the gate. A hundred or so feet in front of them the guards were in pursuit. Stiles shut his eyes tight as the world around them shifted and they were miles away from the castle and back home.

When Stiles reopened his eyes his forest and their clearing had appeared around them once again the woven canopy overhead and the benches in a small circle around them told Stiles they'd actually gotten their loop right this time Leaving and arriving in the same place gave balance and less consequences; Stiles wasn't new to such as rises in anxiety, mood swings, headaches etcetera but he it was a learned skill to get the travelling right every time that could save him a lot of discomfort in he long run. Unfortunately a lot of his travelling brought him up against people who didn't want him in the areas he found himself in and getting back home from his travels sometimes took more than one try.

His eyes immediately flickered up and saw his father approaching him with his arms crossed just in front of them and Jackson sat scowling on a bench just behind.

"Yo dad," He called out shouldering the books higher and stepping forwards to greet him. His dad didn't look extremely pleased but there was thankfulness in his expression having seen Stiles arrive home none the less.

"Did you get what you wanted from them?" He asked bringing an arm up to hug his son.

"Yeah, totally; the books, the trouble. Just what I needed," He dad looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Trouble?"

It was then that Lydia crossed the room to where Jackson sat. The guy stared up at her, eyes wide and looking as though he were about to apologise if he could find his words; Lydia didn't look to care. Her lips were pierced tight and she spat out a word under her breath in a language Stiles hadn't leant enough of to appreciate, slapped him around the head, and left without another word, disappearing into the trees and heading home. Jackson bore it with a solemn look that followed her departure.

Stiles kind of liked it when Lydia brought Jackson up on being a jerk. He used to like it even more when he was all but completely in love with her. She was beautiful and terrifying and incredibly intelligent but Lydia had set him straight that his dream was vastly set in delusion. They were fast friends and a good team, but they were unlikely to ever become more than that, even in a fae's lifetime. She and Jackson were likely to be bonded in the few decades or next century. Stiles would be glad to see Lydia happy, even if it was with a changeling.

"I'll head home and start working on this right away," Stiles cut in, hoping to leave Jackson to his dad's reprimands and escape unscathed from interrogation but was stopped by his Dad's hand.

"And there were no… hiccups, on your little trip," His dad suggested, a gentle asking of an explanation.

"Well Jackson's a douche but we knew that already," Stiles wiggled his finger at Jackson who glared back as if the look itself would cause Stiles pain. "Got a little overenthusiastic with the threatening humans bit," Jackson was a changeling child and it had never been as easy for him to quell his impulsive urges to always be and have the best. Stiles thought they were stupid human urges but every now and then his dad told him he exhibited some of his own. That was entirely different though, he'd protest, Fae are born wanting to protect what's theirs.

"Nothing else?" His dad asked clearly not entirely satisfied with the answer but it wasn't a story Stiles could tell without admitting he'd been separated from the group which his father would disapprove of even more.

"Nothing mentionable," He shrugged.

"Good, I was a little concerned when you sent him back earlier than the rest of you," His father nodded and turned back to Jackson. Jackson would be reprimanded sure, but a little show of remorse and Lydia's good word would see him out on missions again soon enough.

Stiles didn't want to stick around in case Jackson did decide to turn him in for going off on his own and ducked into the forest to head home. Scott was by his side as soon as they left the clearing and was hissing out a reprimand.

"You met one, Stiles you know we're not supposed to engage let alone stop and chat."

"I didn't chat with them," He objected, "Well I chatted at them, and healed one of them. Restoring the balance," He moved his hands as if imitating a scale until they were level.

"You know your Dad'll be mad," Scott said knocking him with his elbow as they walked.

"Then we won't tell him will we Scotty," He shot his friend a look which was returned with a sad sorry one "_Will we_," He emphasised and Scott's gaze dropped to the floor. Stiles knew he was already outed.

"At what point…?"

"I'm not planning to okay, but if he asks me I can't lie Stiles, you know I can't," Scott was a terrible liar but omitting the truth and lying were entirely different things. Stiles had tried for years to get him to understand this.

"Then don't say anything. They didn't catch me; I righted a wrong, its all good,"

"If you say so," Scott grumbled unconvinced.

"Come on, I need you to help me convince Deaton to let me work on these in the glen," He dragged Scoot in the direction of Deaton's home and glen. The best place Stiles had yet found to concentrate and work on his spells, a convergence of ley lines leant it's self to mastering control for someone like Stiles. The background feel of the ley lines helped him concentrate like a white noise dulling his other sensory input while he worked.

"Just don't ask me to smell them again. I swear you make up how special things give off smells," Scott said but moving willingly in the direction Stiles was pushing him.

"Come on then man what was your favourite bit of our adventure today then?" Stiles asked bouncing on the ball of his foot and walking backwards so that his could face Scott as they both revelled in the adventure.

"I don't know. There was a girl," Scott shrugged at the comment but Stiles could see how the dreaminess was catching in his eyes

"Pretty girl?"

"Yeah, she was pretty. She could have been a princess," Stiles was a sucker for the idea of beautiful princesses. The brave and beautiful princess stories had always been his favourite as a child.

"Hey now we can't go stealing the virtue of princesses just because people expect us to,"

"I wouldn't!" Scott objected, "I'm just saying she looked nice is all,"

"Yeah man, you'll find your princess one of these days," Stiles said, patting his friend's shoulder commiserating.


	2. Not All Here

Stiles spent days going through those books. Pouring over every detail and revelling in the secrets he'd found hidden amongst their pages. He loved feeling all the information wash over him. He could learn how to manipulate the elements and help nature create something entirely new.

Technically, he'd selected these books to research the warding problem the clan had been sporadically having issues with but after solving that in the first couple of days there was so much more to learn from these books than the single spell.

There were weather spells and growth enchantments, ways to change appearance and ways to intuitively translate any language. Stiles thought he might finally be able to rival Lydia in that arena. When he'd posed the possibility to her she'd commented that she only learnt new languages when she was bored, not as a way to 'beat' him. Stiles had pouted and huffed out that, "She was too beautiful to be so smart, and talented and," and then he'd rattled off a dozen or so of her best qualities. She'd smiled given him a fond look in return. He'd stopped, leaned forwards, and whispered "Dance with me Lyds," to which she'd smiled wide and replied

"Fine, but only one," And had proceeded to spin him off his feet until they were both grinning and laughing.

Stiles had skimmed over the page on translations before deciding to come back to it on a day he found a text he couldn't translate. For now, these books were keeping him occupied.

However, for the past two days he'd been stuck; on a spell to protect fae clans from any and all human harm. There was something that didn't make sense though, even after going to Deaton, who could usually fill in the gaps for various texts. He'd used everything at his disposal in his fae clan and then proceeded to sink down into his seat and sulk. He was still there stewing over a way to fix his problem when his dad found him several hours later.

"Hey, Everything alright?" The words shook Stiles from his day dream and he sighed.

"This," He said pointing at the page in front of him, "is something really important, like for everyone, and I can't get it,"

"Have you spoken to-,"

"Yes," Stiles snapped. His frustration with the work seeping into his voice but he always regretted snapping at his dad.

"Hey," His dad lightly cuffed his shoulder with the back of his hand.

"Sorry," with his apology his dad sighed and circled round to the seat on the other side of him and sat down. His dad pulled the book out of Stiles' reach but didn't close it.

"Talk to me,"

"It's just the work. It's important and it could help. If I can't help what good am I,"

"What's made you think you're suddenly not good enough?"

"It's nothing," He muttered.

"Okay, then tell me why you're stuck with this then," His dad waved a hand across the mass of papers and books in front of them both.

Stiles leant forward and explained each text, the pages he knew, and the pages that _would _fit; if he could just figure out the one bit that was entirely incoherent to him.

"It's like there's a whole other piece just missing. Like the author thought nope, not going to explain this: The most difficult part, in the same book as everything else. I'm going to just assume everyone knows how to invert elements whilst keeping them stable,"

"You think it could have been taken out of the book?" His dad suggested.

"I don't know, maybe. It's an old book it looks like it's had a lot of repairs. Either that or it could have been an insert or something. But I don't know whether the marquis would have had it and hidden it somewhere else,"

"I could ask around," Stiles sat up and narrowed his eyes.

"Ask who?"

"I have friends, some contacts even Deaton doesn't know. In this realm and the human one,"

"You could?" Stiles' eyes shot open and he sat up from his slouched position.

"Yeah, of course kiddo," He ruffled a hand through Stiles hair avoiding the boy's attempts to waft him away

"Thanks," Stiles groaned begrudgingly as he tried to flatten down his hair to some semblance of order.

"Now how about the other thing that's been on your mind these past few days?" His dad leaned in shoulder to shoulder with him and Stiles pressed back gently feeling the warmth between them.

"I'm fine Dad, really," Sure he'd felt off. Some odd dreams that had him waking up and reeling from an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach, but it was nothing h didn't think would pass. As far as Stiles knew Scott hadn't blabbed about their mission, or Stiles' extra encounters. He figured if his dad did know about his son taunting that guard he probably wouldn't be acting so subtly.

"Okay, well I'm here if you need anything. I'll send some feelers out to find this missing piece for… inverting elements you say? "He dad looked down at some of the papers on the table clearly confused by the majority of it.

"Yeah, I'll write it down for you," Stiles grabbed a scrap of paper and jotted down the name of the spell, the steps preceding and following, the names of some of the ingredients, "and the author and…"

"I think this is good to be going on with, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah that's okay, I guess," Stiles shoved the piece of paper into his dad's hands before he had the urge to write anything else.

"You want to go grab some dinner? Melissa's invited us round,"

"Yeah, sure, I'll just tidy, uh," He stood quickly from the table pulling a dozen or so papers together and then glanced around the room; suddenly realising he'd spread out his papers a lot further than he'd initially realised.

"Leave it son,"

"I'll tidy it, just," He gestured to the clear extend of the spread.

"I know you will; now the sooner we get there the sooner we can eat yes?" He dad said smiling with amusement and stepping over an array of notes haphazardly scattered across the floor.

"I like the way you think," His dad pulled him closer with an arm around his shoulders.

"Love you kiddo," He said as he lead the way out.

"Yeah, love you too dad,"

Melissa was Scott's mom; and if she invited you to dinner, you'd be a fool to hold other plans. Besides, Scott was his best friend, and with all the work he'd been immersed in Stiles had spent precious little time with him since they'd gotten back nearly a week ago.

Typically they hadn't been the only ones invited. Stiles scanned the people already sat around the centre fire and noticed Alicia sat on her own drawing patterns in the dirt beside her.

Alicia, a changeling like Jackson, worked under Melissa, learning the ways of the wood, healing and aiding the forest to give back. Stiles liked her, when she wasn't setting his hair alight. She maintained it was an accident but didn't exactly seem remorseful about it.

Stiles dropped down to sit cross legged next to her, as his dad circled the fire to sit by Melissa's side.

"Hey Spark-shine," He said elbowing her gently in greeting. Changelings often had a spark in their blood. Something giving them a pulse of magical energy that at some point in their childhood they would walk from one world to another and end up stuck there. Alicia had turned up in thick winter furs and snow covered boots. She'd walked straight into the heart of their clan and demanded to be returned to her brother because he had lost her and she was supposed to be home before it went dark. Melissa had taken her under her wing and explained that it wasn't quite as easy as that. She'd cried as most changelings do but slowly opened up upon realising she had a way with nature few other humans did. She and Stiles had bonded over disliking Jackson for being a jerk to them and Stiles would tell her about his adventures and happenings in the human world. She hadn't been to see him since he'd gotten back and it was usually the first thing she mentioned upon seeing him again. She was scowling down at the ground.

"Come on spark-shine smiling is good for your health," He rubbed a hand up and down her arm as he spoke

"Don't call me that," She muttered.

"What? Why not?" He asked pulling away and hugging his knees to his chest.

"Lydia says I shouldn't let people do things to me I don't want them to. Like call me names that aren't my own or use my stuff without asking,"

"She's a smart lady," HE said nodding when Alicia looked up at him, "I'm sorry for calling you that,"

"You should be," She said sticking tongue out at him and smiling.

"So Alice, Alic, Ally…?"

"No!" She shouted at him

"You like the name Alicia better?" She nodded once certain and decided.

"It's my name. It belongs to me," She looking up at Stiles as if looking for approval, hints of uncertainty in the creases around her eyes. Stiles smiled and eased her worry

"Fair enough, Promise not to set my hair one fire then," He held a hand for her to shake.

"Promise," She held out her hand too his and shook his firmly. Stiles scooped it up in both of his and kissed it. She giggled and squealed as she pulled away.

"'Tiles, you only do that for Lydia,"

"You're a big girl now, making decisions for yourself. Big girls get kissed on their cheek or their hand,"

"Miss Melissa says I've got a lot to learn before I grow up,"

"Hey so have I, want to see what I've been learning?" He asked and she looked up and nodded vigorously "Alrighty then," he said. He pulled a few blades of grass from where they sat and held them between his palms. He whispered a few key words into his hands and then tossed them into the fire. Stiles glanced to her to see her leaning forwards riveted in anticipation. It took a moment or two and then the flames closest to them crackled and grew. Tendrils reached out towards them and Alicia gasped and shuffled backwards when the curled towards her feet. Her eyes were glued to them until she believed them to have stopped reaching out towards her. She turned her face up to Stiles and smiled wide.

"Is that all?" She asked clearly expecting to be far more impressed by Stiles' tricks. Stiles smirked.

"Nope," He leant forwards and the moment his hand touched one of the tendrils it appeared to break from its source and trickle around his palm and in and out of his fingers.

"Whoa cool!" Scott's hand landed heavily on Stiles' shoulder and broke his concentration. He yelped as the flame burn out hot against his skin.

"Not cool man," Stiles said shoving Scott as he was sitting down on his other side. He held his hand up to Alicia. "Ow."

"I can fix that,"

"Thank you," He said watching as she took his hand and examined the raw pink skin raised up in a curling line around his thumb, palm and back of his hand.

"It's your own fault," Scott said from behind him "Haven't you ever been told not to play with fire," Stiles turned round to stick his tongue out before turning back to Alicia.

"Can it be saved?" He asked when he saw her frowning.

"Yeah, just..."

"What? Am I going to lose my thumb? Will I never be able to give anyone a thumbs up again?" He could feel Scott rolling his eyes behind him in amusement.

"I've never actually practiced on anyone before," She said quietly and then when Stiles didn't respond "I've healed animals though," She said in an attempt to sound convincing and competent. Stiles didn't see the harm in letting her try. He already had the odd scar that even fae magic wouldn't heal.

"Go ahead," Stiles encouraged her. She looked up nervously and caught his eye. "I trust you,"

She took a breath and then rubbed her thumb gently in circled around the burn following its path around Stiles' hand and enunciating the spell precisely. Stiles felt the pain dissipate until there was nothing to be felt but her small hands cupping his.

"Did it work?" Scott asked leaning in close over Stiles' shoulder to see for himself.

"Yeah," Stiles told him smiling down at Alicia.

"I didn't set you on fire!" She squealed with glee, moments before bursting out laughing; Stiles couldn't help but laugh too. Between the stress and amazement of learning a new spell he often felt a giddy happiness erupting inside himself when he learnt something new.

"You have no idea how grateful I am for that," He told her. She stood quickly and threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm going to go tell Melissa," She said bouncing on her feet and rushing off to where Melissa sat.

"Tell her it was all your idea!" Stiles called after her but he doubted the girl heard him.

"Mum knows your ideas are the ones that go wrong," Scott said leaning in close to him. Physical contact was important to them all; the solid warmth echoing the feelings of family that pulsed in their minds. "Well that's a lie, has she never seen any of your plans in action?"

"They're not all bad," Scott even looked a little offended at the statement

"You tied that guy up in his own bathtub instead of just putting him to sleep or something,"

"I panicked okay! Can you stop bringing it up. I can't think fast like you can," Scott's first time out on his own in the human world was terrifying for him. He ended up so lost Stiles had had to find him and bring him home

"Sure man, it's all a learning curve right?"

"Are you going to go back there again?" He asked around a mouthful of food.

"Huh, why?" Stiles asked, his brow furrowed.

"Deaton said you were struggling with something," He said after swallowing a far greater amount than looked comfortable.

"Doesn't meant the answers back in that place,"

"You could see that guy again," Scott teased and Stiles shot a hand out to shove him.

"Oh my god, tell everyone why don't you,"

"You get obsessive when you want to distract yourself from something. I haven't seen you in days so you've been obsessing over this spell book or whatever. Because something else happened that you don't want to think about," Scott's logic wasn't entirely correct but Stiles hated how close it did come to how he felt

"Fine fine, jeez. You live with someone for a few millennia you don't expect them to know all your tells…" He grumbled and sighed.

"So," Scott prompted looking expected like an animal waiting expectantly for a command. Stiles waited a moment; Melissa was handing out bowls of soup to everyone with the help of some of the other kids. He thanked her and then once everyone had returned to their seats he spoke in a hushed whisper.

"I dreamt about him, the guard I spoke to. His eyes staring at me and then I blinked and I was on my own in just darkness. But it was like I could feel him there. The energy I saw in his eyes, I could feel it," Scott looked dubious and stiles looked back down at his food suddenly not as hungry as he had been.

"Weird,"

"Wow concise and effective, thanks," stiles flicked a bit of food at him and it missed by too far for Scott to notice.

"So are you going back?"

"Scott!"

"I'd go with you! I could find that girl again,"

"The princess?"

"Yeah," Scott would be the lovesick fool in all the fairytales. There was no question about it.

"Sorry buddy but I don't think we'd be welcomed back there," Stiles said scooping up another spoonful and letting it fall back into the bowl with a splatter.

"Hasn't stopped you before,"

"Yeah but if I do need to back for anything to do with these spells I'm working on I don't want them remembering my face and habits," Stiles countered, the excuse coming easily to him after years of his dad telling him just why he couldn't make regular trips to and from the human's world.

"Yeah, like you always dodge right,"

"I do not!"

"You do, and you balance is crap after you've just jumped anything higher than six feet,"

"Okay true, but it throws me off man. No ones caught me out before," Scott raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay no ones caught me out too badly because of it,"

"Me and Danny were going to practice some manoeuvres and defences tomorrow, Jackson said he might be there, maybe Lydia. We didn't know when you'd come out of hiding with all those books," Stiles glanced down and realised Scott had already finished him meal, he pushed his bowl across to him. Scott didn't argue just swapped the bowl for his own and continued eating Stiles' food.

"I'll be there. I'm so stuck with those books you wouldn't believe," Stiles groaned, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the stars above them.

"You're doing all this voluntarily. It's not like you've got anyone on your back to figure it out like I have with Deaton. I totally froze up the other day when I was supposed to be taking pain while he worked on a patient. It was like I just couldn't remember how,"

"This is why you need me around isn't it. You missed me so much you can't do your job probably," He knocked his knee against Scott's and Scott hummed and then after swallowing his mouthful of food appeared to suddenly realise what Stiles had said.

"Shut up," He snapped.

"Its okay man I understand how you feel," He placed a hand over his heart and attempted to look sincere. Scott didn't look impressed, "I'll be there tomorrow. Kick some ass, and show you all how it's done," he threw a few punches at an invisible attacker in front of him and the Scott punched him in the arm hard.

"I don't know how you survive on your own,"

"I have my wits and wiles,"

"You have your stupidity," Lydia cut in as she walked past behind them.

"I'm as smart as you are," He objected, leaning back to look up at her. She smiled pityingly.

"Unlikely, but keep dreaming," Stiles shook his head and stared after her.

"Why does she going back to that douche Jackson? He just acts like a jerk," Scott huffed. "You treat her like a queen and she barely remembers you're there when he's in the room.

"She loves him," Stiles said half smiling and tilting his head to the side in response, "Can't argue with love Scotty,"

Stiles knew he'd only drive himself mad by trying to understand the spell books further right now. What better distraction than spending a few days with Lydia and Scott anyway. But this training was not his best accomplishment.

He could duck and dive out of the way of swords and spells but actually fighting back he just couldn't get a hit in. which meant until his attacker tired, or Stiles got sloppy, the dance could go on for hours.

"You scared Stiles? That why you're not fighting back?" Danny taunted. He was stepping forwards and Stiles had managed to back himself into the fork of a tree and had few options for where to go.

"I'm using your own weaknesses against you,"

"Do tell,"

"It wouldn't teach you anything if you didn't figure it out for yourself,"

"You're stalling is what you're doing,"

"Well you might see it that way but…" Stiles jumped up to one of the lower branches that had been entrapping him. "I always have an escape route," He barely finished his remark when he felt the branch beneath him shudder and let out an ominous crack. Stiles fell the several feet to the floor pieces of the branch doing anything but cushioning his landing.

"Oh mother of nature that hurt," Stiles groaned rolling from side to side to avoid being stabbed by the sharp branches. Danny sauntered into view above him as he sat up.

"You give up?" Stiles could hear Jackson's jeers and Scott laughing off where they were stood.

"I never give up," He shouted loud enough that they would hear and grabbing a branch that had fallen with him rolled over and jumped to his feet. Jabbing and parrying with Danny who desperately tried to block the shots but seemed shocked by Stiles' near instant recovery. Stiles hit him across the knee cap and Danny crumpled with the shot.

"Giving up already, Danny boy?" Stiles said crouching down a few feet away.

"You can't honestly tell me you're not in pain right now," Danny said, raising his head and breathing heavily from exhaustion.

"I don't know how I'm standing up," Stiles admitted and immediately flopped backwards into the leaves that littered the ground.

"Gotta say that was impressive though," Stiles preened at the compliment and a sharp pain twinged in his neck and he groaned.

"Don't expect a replay in the next few minutes. I'm just gonna lay here and uh contemplate life,"

"Right," From the corner of Stiles' eye he could see Danny in a similar flat out position to himself. Training could be fun, but this hand to hand was what Stiles sucked at most of the time. He shut his eyes and listened to Lydia, Scott and Jackson taunt each other as they fought. In his mind he could feel every blow that met or missed the spikes of his friend's determination and anxiety. This was what it meant to live.

"What happened to you?" His Dad asked when he strolled in later that afternoon.

"Practice. And a tree," Stiles said, bending over the basin and splashing water across his face. It came away brown from the dirt on his skin.

"Did you go threw it?" His dad picked out several small leaves and twigs from his mess of hair and flicked them out of the window.

"Pretty much,"

"I got a reply from a contact. He knew exactly what it was you were looking for as soon as I mentioned it," Stiles' head shot up at the news and he absent mindedly patted his damp hands down his shirt dirtying them all over again.

"Does he know how to work it?" He asked excitedly.

"No, but the Marquis did have it. Hid it in case people like us ever found out he had it," His dad paused looking at Stiles carefully, "Stiles your little trip has apparently caused an uproar since the guy found out what was taken,"

"It's a gift, really,"

"He's planning to have it shipped to another secure location within a few days. What you've taken has gotten the humans angry and scared Stiles this isn't going to be easy."

"Hey we can handle ourselves. Typical grab and go. All we need is a distraction and a thief. We have plenty of distraction material,"

"Take seven. You can head out tomorrow morning. Rest up so you can home in one piece, yeah?"

"Pfft, one piece is easy. It's coming home in multiple pieces that you should hope for. That takes skill," "I'm joking. Don't worry. I always do come home though,"

"Get some sleep kid. You'll need it. I've got to head out to Melissa's,"

"Tell Scott the news,"

"I will do,"

"Hey can I take some of the kids?"

"Stiles," his dad said, and edge of caution in his voice.

"If they can travel they can get out of there if anything goes wrong. It'll be good for some of them,"

"I'll let you know. My contact said there was a lot of talk about how much value the Marquis was putting on this piece,"

"Then most of it's probably just exaggeration he's playing up how important his stuff is since fae _deigned_ to steal from him." Humans did that all the time. Exaggerate and lie. It was how everything got so messed up wars happened, trying to get things off each other that neither ever owned in the first place.

"You're probably right," His dad said, nodding slowly and then heading out. Stiles took his seat by the fire and weighed up his options.


	3. The Docks

Stiles was up early the next day and by the time his dad was awake he was hunched over several papers with plans scrawled across them.

"You figure out who you're taking with you?"

"Yep," He held out a sheet of paper with one hand and continued scribbling with the other. He dad took it and rubbed his eyes before reading down the names.

"Stiles there are four kids on this list, are you sure-,"

"All of them have asked me about travelling. All have mastered the basics and at least one of them is travelling without supervision because I keep finding him when I go places and having to send them home,"

"Wait, who?" His dad's head snapped up the comment having pulled the last of sleep from him.

"I promised I wouldn't tell," Stiles said, giving his dad a pitiful look in hope of being let off without explanation.

"Stiles this is important," His dad pressed.

"I figured if I give them a real taste of what it's like it'll curb the habit. Convince them to work towards getting included on one of the scouting parties instead," His dad didn't look impressed. "I'll tell you as soon as we get back how's that?"

"And there's no way you won't tell me who it is before you go?"

"We'll look after them you know we will. Scott and Lydia would die before letting any harm come to any of these kids,"

"So would you kid," His dad caught his eye and Stiles felt himself shrink under the scrutiny. He busied himself shuffling the papers on the table into some sort of order and tidiness

"That's just it though,"

"That's what I'm worried about,"

"They'll be safe I promise." He said looking up at his dad again "And kids always make better distractions anyway," He pulled out another sheet of paper with his plan hastily scrawled across it. "See I've got it all planned out." His dad took it from him and squinted down deciphering the handwriting. "I found your notes from your friend and worked out how best to get in and out in various scenarios," His dad sighed and passed him back the sheets.

"Go round up your group then, I'll meet you out in the clearing in an hour to see you off, okay,"

"Got it," Stiles nodded and sprang up from the chair and was out of the door before his dad had gotten his bearing enough to see him disappear out of the door. He sank into the chair Stiles had just vacated and slid a hand down over his face. He leant forwards and shuffled the papers Stiles had left to see the extent of his work.

"There's no holding our kid back is there," He whispered to the empty room. A light breeze blew through the open door, just enough to flutter the papers across the table. He smiled to himself and then stood to make some breakfast and tea.

Their goal lay in the La Balle D'argent, an impressive ship Stiles could admit as he stared at its gilded hull across the docks from where they'd landed. They'd landed between two warehouse sheds facing the bay, in between crates and barrels and where the overwhelming aroma of fish caught in their mouths. He glanced around to see if they'd been spotted, as were Scott and Lydia while the younger ones crouched out of sight to catch their breath.

"We have our heading me hearties," He stepped up, one foot on a crate and his hand across his brow looking out towards the ship.

"That had better be your one and only pirate quip," Lydia hadn't appreciated the late notice of him barging into her bedroom to request she accompany him. Jackson had appreciated it even less since he wasn't invited.

"Quick Scotty, shield my eyes and ears. ''Tis a mermaid of striking beauty delivered here to escort me to the dark depths of the ocean," He dramatically threw himself backwards into Scott's arms, a hand on his forehead as if fainting. Scott laughed and threw him back to his feet. Stiles twisted to wink at the younger ones who were giggling at the stunt.

"I thought these four were the ones going to be acting foolish today," Lydia waved a hand in the direction of Jesse and Grace.

"Never underestimate the fool," He said cheekily elbowing her as he strolled past leading the way. He took Alicia's hand as he passed."Let's go cause some mayhem huh,"

"You did not bring me along to be responsible did you?"

"It hurts that you'd think that. You're here to teach 'em how it's done," He spread his arms wide as if encompassing the whole bay. "Let loose Lyds,"

Stiles signalled Scott to take Grace and circle the harbour and swing left; he and Alicia would take right while Lydia and the boys took care of assessing their direct route and creating enough of a distraction by the time the two pairs had circled back to them.

Jesse and Teddy were somersaulting off barrels in a trails of sparks and the humans all around were either gasping at the display or crossing themselves at the sight of demons in their midst. Stiles spotted Lydia sidling up to a sailor who probably hadn't even noticed the kid's acrobatics by the way he was staring wide eyed at the red head. She was sliding a finger down a sailor's front as he was obviously enthralled by her. Stiles watched as she reached up standing on her very toes to whisper something in his ear with a sweet smile. His thoughts were broken when a hand landed on his arm. Scott raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"Shut up." Stiles shoved him lightly, "What's it look like round here to you?"

"Remarkably few guards for a busy port. What did you see?"

"A whole lot of crew around every route we might need to use: Trading, loading or recovering from their last night's victory,"

"Victory? Who did they beat?" Scott's mind had a beautiful innocence to it that Stiles' had long lost.

"I'm not going to damage your delicate naïve mind with the details. I am too much your friend to enact such a heinous crime," Stiles said, hand over his heart. Scott scowled.

"Okay, okay. I didn't want the details anyway, jeez; you couldn't have just said lots of people about,"

"Then I guess you'd need something to scatter them right?" Stiles jumped as Lydia appeared from just behind them. He glanced at Scott who was equally surprised at her arrival and mouthed to him 'did you see her move?" Scott shook his head and Lydia pushed past both of them to stand in the middle staring across at the kids still performing their tricks.

"You have a plan?" Stiles asked hopefully.

"That man there just told me every sailor's worst nightmare," She pointed a long delicate finger to the guy Stiles had see her with. He was now staring dopily into space, mouth hanging open and laxly crumpled against a wooden pole.

"You didn't catch anything did you?" Stiles asked dubiously and she flicked her hair as he turned a condescending look on him.

"Selkies, kelpies and the kraken," She rolled her eyes as if bored by the banality of the sailor's fears, "Essentially something that could drag them under and swallow them whole,"

"Ooh I haven't conjured any apparitions up in ages," Scott said bouncing from his heels to toe and back again.

"Hey, remember when we tried to scare that old woman with the giant snake, and she welcomed it into the house cause she couldn't actually see what it was without her glasses!"

"Well that just proves you won't be doing anything here and now. You're imagery is pathetically unconvincing," She waved a hand in their general direction.

"An overactive imagination is _not_ a fault," Stiles objected stubbornly

"You've got a book to find. I'll keep their eyes on me,"

"I guess we'd better go. Grab a charge and watch my back,"

"Got it,"

Stiles slipped through the crowd and pulled Alicia out of the fray.

The ship was dark and damp with the faint odour of urine; everything Stiles' very being cringed at. Alicia's expression looked pinched as if she were holding her breath.

"Sooner we find this thing the sooner we're out of her okay," Stiles dropped down ladder swiftly checking the coast was clear before Alicia followed him. Only once did he spot someone and he sent them to sleep on the spot; they fell softly into the side of the ship. Alicia jumped down behind him and barely glanced over to him before they then made their way to the hold.

From up above they could hear Scott and Jesse's tricks sending the sailors shouting and running for cover. As they'd climbed aboard Stiles had seen Jesse whisper something to Scott who had nodded vigorously at the suggestion. The two were working towards becoming a brilliant team.

The moment he stepped into a small enclosed room off the main hold Stiles could feel the buzz of the centuries old text somewhere close. There were three crates spaced out in front of him but only one fixed down solidly; clearly the one which contained their prize.

"Okay so it's definitely in here. Can you keep a look out?" he asked cocking an eyebrow as if playfully daring her.

"What if someone comes?" she asked quietly, not quite the confidence Stiles was expecting from her but it was her first actually mission. He settled a hand on her shoulder and bend down slightly.

"If you can distract them do that, if not try to knock them out. No hurts okay,"

"Okay," she nodded and took up century duty just outside the doorway.

Stiles hurriedly wrenched the lid of the crate from where it had been nailed down and threw it up and over the back with little more than a flick of his hand. Mounds of straw expanded out of the crate which Stiles pushed it out of his way as he dug down to the bottom of the box. The thin blades of straw cut into his skin like whisper thin knives and healed just as quickly. Someone hadn't wanted anyone prying too far into this crate's contents. Finally, when Stiles was near dangling bend in half across the edge of box his fingertip caught on the hard corner of the book's corner. He'd just brought it up to the top of the crate through the padding when Stiles heard a thump against the other side of the wooden panelling behind him, a gasp and then a rush of footsteps across the floor. Stiles threw himself towards the door and his eyes immediately fell on Alicia shrinking into the opposite wall between the beams. Between Stiles and her though was a guy three or four times Stiles' size, torn dirty shirt and the stink of drink rolling off him. He was stalking forwards towards Alicia and Stiles was running through his options when Alicia screamed, and the great hulk of a man who was coming at her collapsed on the spot clutching his ears. Alicia gasped and the guy went limp, his arms falling to his sides.

"Stiles I don't like it!" She said cowering and heaving her breaths as if holding back a sob. Stiles crossed quickly and knelt by the sailors' shoulders and checked his neck for a pulse.

"Hey it's okay. He's just knocked out," Stiles said holding out a hand to her. She shook her head fast and refused to step forwards.

"He was going to kill you he had a knife and I didn't see him until he hit me. I, I'm scared. Stiles I want to go home!" He stood and stepped over the body to her, crouching just in front of her and ducking his head to catch her eye.

"Yeah okay kiddo. Are you okay travelling on your own?" She sniffled and wiped her eyes and the nodded.

"Yeah." She said quietly, "It'll hurt though, won't it? Cause I'm not where we arrived," Stiles nodded slowly.

"Just a headache or a queasy tummy. You go to Melissa when you get back. She'll look after you,"

"The others will call me a wuss," She sniffed again.

"And I'll tell them all how brave you were. That you saved me,"

"I saved you?"

"Uh huh," Stiles nodded slowly and sincerely. She hid her face in her hands and Stiles gently reached up to take on of them in his own, "You still want to go home?" He asked

"Yeah," She wiped her nose on her sleeve and looked up at him for just a second before throwing her arms around him tightly.

"Okay. Be safe little one," She loosened her arms and he watched as she took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. In seconds he was staring at nothing but the corner of a ship's hold. He cocked his head to hear if anyone else was coming and then when there was nothing but the distant sounds of people he returned to the crates he'd been searching to replace the lid and kick the escaped straw from sight.

"Where's Alicia?" Scott asked when he reappeared on deck; a deck which was covered in shimmering glitter from Scott's endeavours into chaos.

"Took out a bad guy. She was a little shaken up, so went home," Stiles grimaced and shrugged to Lydia who nodded in understanding

"Oh cool. Scott can _I_ take out a bad guy. I won't hurt them honest!" Jesse asked hopefully bouncing from foot to foot in excitement.

"We're not here to make a scene," Lydia told him and his face fell as he muttered about girls getting all the cool adventures.

"I thought you were staying down on land?"

"It's a little late for that," Lydia shrugged

"They're clearing the docks. The humans have pointed us out and the harbour guard are moving in," Grace shouted as she suddenly appearing on top of a barrel beside them.

"I think you've got some water in your ears kid," Stiles said rubbing his own ear ache away.

"What?" She yelled but Stiles just laughed. Scott on the other hand covered Grace's ears with his hands clearing the blockage. Graces' eyes widened as she realised the difference it made.

"Cool, Thanks!"

"S'ok Gracie,"

"So back to the guard we've got closing in on out position," She then dropped her voice to a hushed whisper, "including the possible kidnap, torture and –,"

"I'm aware, thank you," He glanced back around at the kids who were excitedly swapping stories of their best tricks so far.

"Teddy can you get a good view of where everyone's positions from up there?" Stiles asked, pointing up by the figurehead at the head of the boat facing the docks. As he finished the request the boy was already jumping up into position, "Don't let them see you," He called and the Teddy ducked low under the railing and peered out.

"The humans are all leaving, an then some others in uniforms are all in big groups shouting and standing in lines around where we came in and they're got knives and guns. I've learnt about them from-, ooh and there's one pouring something onto the ground. Looks like of like black sand,"

"Do you have a plan for this?" Lydia snapped at him.

"Yes, but I thought I could use the plan where we all grow wings and fly out of this mess,"

"About as successful as if you suggested we swim off out to sea,"

"I can't swim," Grace admitted and from Jesse's sombre expression it was unlikely he'd be a strong swimmer either.

"Neither can Scotty," Stiles added offhandedly and he glanced around looking for their escape options.

"Not everyone needs to know that Stiles!" Scott whined and the kids giggled behind him.

"Well. Are we just going to walk up there and say sorry for causing a spectacle and they'll let us walk away?" Lydia snapped against, her hair spinning wildly as she turned to gesture in their direction.

"No,"

"Hey, don't jump down each others throats. We've gotten out of stickier tricks than this," Scott said jumping in between them and Stiles and Lydia scowled at each other.

"When?" She pushed Scott's arm from around her and he shrunk back, "Because these lot know something about us at least. They're humans Stiles you can't reason with them,"

"Lydia can you let me think? Just for a minute." he snapped back at her and stepped past her as she huffed. She was stressed, Stiles could feel his own stress building but there were five other people he needed to get out of this mess he'd landed them in.

Stiles leaned over the side of the boat and glanced up and down the dock, checking off the facts in his head. The guards were gathering around the warehouses they ducked past when they'd first arrived, and the only way off the dock they'd found themselves on, was too loop round out onto the adjacent dock; by climbing across the boats to the adjoining dock in order to head back down the east side. He took a deep breath and turned to face Lydia who had evidently reeled in her temper as she awaited his instruction. He stepped back over to her and held her hand just briefly.

"First things first we can't stay on this boat," he stated turning from Lydia to the rest of the group. "Everyone down," and with that Stiles leapt backwards over the side of the boat and down onto the gangway. The rest followed with lessened dramatics and then he pointed up the dock to a further boat from shore.

"Okay, exit plan is up and over the boats guys," Stiles said reaching the gangplank of the boat floating closest. He crossed first glancing round in search of any crew and thankfully found none in sight. He then leaned back around the corner and motioned them all to head on up after him. He waved Lydia forwards and he stopped to glance behind them. The guards were marching down towards them, or at least the boat they had been on.

"Stiles, how come they have so many weapons?" Jesse asked from behind him. He turned around to see Jesse studying an array of guns, daggers, and heavy metal cannon balls stacked and waiting to be move to the hold. He crossed to where Jesse was and grabbed him by the elbow pushing him in the direction the others had headed.

"Sorry kid, no time for toys right now,"

"I was just looking," Jesse protested, pulling out of Stiles' hold.

"I'll bring you sightseeing some time when we're not being pursued by humans wielding those weapons,"

"You promise,"

"Hell yeah, now follow Lydia, I need to watch our backs," Jesse nodded and the cast a longing glance back towards the stacks of cannon balls and knives as Stiles busied himself setting a low tripwire across the gangway, "Can I take one now?"

"No, no go!" He said pushing Jesse off in front of him. Scott and Teddy were waiting for him on the next boat across and Lydia had jumped onto the next with Grace. She waited for only a moment to see them land safely before disappearing down onto the adjoining dock.

Stiles had just jumped down from the final boat onto the dock when Lydia yanked him back towards the shadows of the boat.

"They're waiting for us down there. They don't have weapons readied so they know enough that we won't attack. That we won't fight. They're prepared Stiles. They want to catch us for good this time,"

"Then we play into their little plan and show them just how tricky we can be,"

She turned him by the shoulder and reached a hand up to cup his cheek and looked him straight in the eye. He could see the concern, as well as her apology in her eyes.

"Today's a day for laughter and joy," Lydia sang softly, the start of a song from when they were children. The ending to a fae tale Stiles' mother had taught them all an age ago.

"Not to be some human's toy," Stiles finished. He turned to the rest of the group and her hand dropped away. Grace looked most nervous of them all so he stepped over and kiss her cheek. She giggled at the touch and Stiles caught Scott's eye over her head. He was to stick by her through all of this, and keep her safe.

"Will you do me the honour my dear Lydia?" He asked, bowing slightly and holding out his hand. If anyone could inspire them all in this daring confrontation it was her.

"Happily," She took his outstretched hand in hers and launched into a run so fast it near dragged him off his feet. The others followed close on their heel and Lydia slowed once they'd all begun moving down the pier. The skipped and jumped over the various ropes and barrels strewn about the walkway. They laughed and Lydia sang out a chorus in their native tongue. Their remained the churning in the base of Stiles' gut that told him this could all go horribly wrong but as he saw out of the corner of his eye Scott trip and cartwheel before almost falling into the water surrounding them his laughter bubbled up and they were making memories that would likely turn into tales when they returned home.

He paused to allow Grace to catch up who had stooped to pick up a shell from the ground. Stiles used the moment and glanced towards the predators standing in formulated lines, so blatant in their proposed actions. Stiles knew his and his friends actions were mockery to them and a thrilling churning feeling in his stomach urged him on. He bent down and scooped Grace up in his arms and spun her around. She giggled more and together they ran hand in hand to catch up with Lydia, Scott and the others.

Stiles and Lydia were once again in the lead of their trope as they blazed past the first row of four bemused guards. Stiles glanced up at each of them and when a young man with curly blonde hair caught his eye Stiles winked. The poor man looked as if he'd seen a ghost and all the blood had drained from his face in shock. Stiles wondered what they'd been warned to expect.

The group moved between the guards carefully and precisely. That was until Stiles saw exactly what these human predators had been waiting for. A faint circle of dark powder and then another beside it and another as if paving their escape route; a trap waiting to capture them just as they'd passed what they had been assuming was the danger. He yelled for Scott.

"Make the jump!" Scott didn't hesitate, scooping up Grace in his arms as Lydia did the same for Teddy and in an instant the four of them were gone. The rest were vanishing as fast as the humans could blink and what chaos it was causing for them too. Stiles stood and drank it in. then he suddenly felt a pulse of emptiness. A hollowness that felt so deeply sickening he gasped. There was a scream from up ahead past the guards and in the circles Stiles had hoped everyone would avoid.

He shot forwards stopping just outside the ring.

"Jesse it okay, hold on its okay," He rounded on the humans, the predators with their hungry gazes, "Let him go! He's just a kid, let him go!"

"What'd we get in return?" A voice questioned from the row of guards behind him.

"Me." Stiles shouted rounded again to face them. I'm the one who was stealing from you. I'm the one you need if you want any sort of information. You let him out and you get me,"

"Why should we trust you?"

"Because I give you my word," He snarled.

"Fae are tricksters we might as well keep the boy _and _let you give yourself up, rather than take your word,"

Cruel humans and fools the lot of them Stiles thought. He needed to get Jesse out before the painful cries caused one of the guards to react violently. He didn't want to hurt anyone after such a run. He had the options he'd studied in all those books he'd stolen. Final choices and sacrifices we always interesting in the abstract but now Stiles had to use one.

"Okay then," His raised his chin high and calmed his outburst, "I ask you all stand back a moment," He said flashing half a smile and then waving his hand in a round, freezing them all in their place. The second he was sure they weren't coming at him he dropped to the floor summoning all the energy he could from the ground.

"Please, please, please," He whispered and in his very bones he felt a vibration building and building. He nails dug into the ground beneath his hands and then a pulse rippled across the earth. The dark dust circle pulsed and dispersed outwards and Jesse rushed forwards throwing his arms around Stiles' neck, their connection returned. The guards behind him was shifting though, they muscles twitching to life and rejecting the spell's dwindling influence on them.

"Go kid, I'll be right behind you," Stiles kept his eyes shut but he felt Jesse's presence vanish moments later. Now Stiles was actually in trouble. The spell had cost him. Last resort options did by sheer virtue of existence.

He stood and turned slowly scanning each of the guard that were stood in front of him. They were glancing from one to another and then back to Stiles. Stiles wasn't going to be able to outrun them right now unless he had a significant head start and could resolve the blurriness he could feel around the edges of the senses like a dizziness. He steeled himself as they all appeared to be reaching for their sheaths at their sides.

"Yeah uh, you can postpone the 'stab him now!' response. I'll stick around for a chat if you'd like," None of them responded more than the blonde woman dipping her head and frowning. Stiles took a deep breath to steady himself and stepped lightly towards them. "How about some trust exercises," He turned around when he was a step or so away from them his hands clasped behind his back; very much in reach should they choose to grab him but he knew he was pretty much defenceless right now. And when you've got nothing to lose, where's the harm in a little fun.

"See my back is to you. Clearly I don't find you as threatening as you'd probably like. Hey, maybe fae don't actually hurt people if they can help it; benevolence, now there's an idea to stick in your myth, before you stick it somewhere else," He moved his foot back as if stepping right up to them, his back still turned. "Maybe you can touch them without going mad," He felt a pair of gloves grab his clasped hands behind him. Stiles wondered it they were brave or stupid. He casually rolled his head back as if stretching his neck.

"It was you who healed my sister," The words sounded strained with shock and Stiles whirled on the spot to look at him curiously. The guy had released Stiles' hands as quickly as he'd captured them and the second Stiles realised he recognised him, his heart stuttered a double beat. Funny how coincidences could do that he thought quickly.

The guy from the library but now he wasn't quite as fierce as worn down; enacting his role but his energy was gone, and with it all the power in his very voice that Stiles had found so amusing. Stiles reached out a hand towards him but it was slapped away by the blonde woman stood beside him. Stiles cocked his head to look at her and narrowed his eyes taking her in. He looked back again at the man.

"Is she still well?" He asked carefully darting his eyes between the blonde and the guy in front of him.

"Yes-,"

"Derek, stop talking to it. He'll be casting a spell,"

"I don't think I'd need to," Stiles said with a mocking sweetness to his voice.

"If you talk to anyone you'll talk to me," A commanding voice made Stiles turn to see an older man approaching them with a hungry gaze. The older man was dressed in a long fur coat that looked so entirely out of place from all the clothing Stiles had seen earlier as he scoped out the docks. His eyes were squinting as if assessing a target. He was in charge, and he had expected Stiles to do a lot more to these guards than just talk to them.

"Gerard Argent," The older man introduced himself, "I suppose you've heard of me," Stiles searched his memory for something but nothing came to mind.

"Huh, no actually," He shrugged, thinking how conceited humans seeming to be.

"Funny, since you've made a habit of stealing from me, demon,"

"Fae share knowledge. Human customs are very... uh, excluding, with their knowledge: Where they keep it, how they share it,"

"Well I certainly won't share you," his sweet voice contradicted every other impression he was exhibiting and Stiles bristled at the tone.

"You think you've got me now do you?"

"Oh I've got you, and it doesn't matter how you freed that boy I'll have them all as mine when you give them up,"

Fear pulsed through his very veins and Stiles glared and flexed his fingers, wishing he had even enough to knock this guy off his feet.

"You want power, you got me. You won't touch them though; you'll never get through to them,"

"You think you can threaten me boy? Hurt me," Gerard waved nonchalantly down to Stiles' now clenched fists.

"I don't plan to hurt you," Stiles said carefully.

"Then you will never win," Gerard snapped.

"That's a matter of perspective." Stiles countered pointing a finger at him. There was a cry from one of the guards and soon Stiles' arms were grabbed and yanked behind him back and tied tightly and with skill.

"We have ways of limiting you power, demon,"

"Hey that's not fair! Fae are not demons," He objected as he tugged ineffectually at the bindings now tightly looped around his wrists.

"You're trapped by the demon mark,"

"Demon mark? Are you kidding me?"

"Gag him. I'll not have this demon spewing curses upon us," Struggling did Stiles little good since his hands were already tied. The gag tasted old and stale against his tongue. He watched as Gerard pulled out a small vial and uncorked it. The older man stepped over and forced the vial up under Stiles' nose. Stiles tried not to breath but it was the fumes spiriting up from the vial and stinging his eyes that appeared to be doing the most damage. He felt his limbs begin to sag and the grip on his arms behind him loosen.

"Nighty night little demon," Stiles heard him sneer but he was passed out before his knees hit the floor.


	4. When You're Going Through Hell

When he awoke it was as if he'd been dream walking for too long and couldn't get his bearings. His wrists were still tied but now also wrenched up above him and chained to the wall. He hazily looked around to see he was at the back of some great stone hall, a council chamber of sorts, and surrounded by guards though all had their backs to him. He could barely open his eyes wide enough to get a read on them but that didn't stop him struggling against the effects of whatever they'd done to him.

He felt washed out and unclear. He couldn't feel the edge of his senses, and he couldn't connect to his family. He could feel them but only faintly, they were okay but he couldn't get to them. Stiles tried to concentrate as best he could on what was around him instead. Maybe if he could escape these bindings or the room he could feel a little more capable. Each time he thought he had a hook on something steady another wave of mental nausea came over him and he had to take a deep breath and start again.

His hearing slowly became less muted and he could pick out Gerard's ranting from the main arena of the chamber. When one of the guards shifted from foot to foot, a gap emerged between him and his comrade that Stiles could see through to a group stood around the throne.

Gerard was on the highest step at the head of the room, looking as if he'd just stood up from the throne, and he was now shouting at someone Stiles couldn't see. There was a cold amusement on the face of the woman stood just to Gerard's right. Stiles' gaze drifted on to the guard he did recognise. Derek, who was stood to attention at the foot of the stairs, at the head of a group of guards Stiles vaguely thought were the same as from the docks, but he couldn't be sure. Derek was composed and stoic but Stiles could see the way he was flexing his fists behind his back and then switching to wringing his hands together so tightly Stiles could see the stark white contrast on his skin.

A yelled outburst startled Stiles when Gerard ordered whoever it was he'd been talking to, to leave the room. Through the guards' legs Stiles saw the flurry of a dark mud dirtied cloak. In their hurry to leave the person, tripped on the stone flour and Stiles saw a girl with wild mousey hair scramble to retrieve the books that had fallen from her arms. As guards yanked her up to their feet and shoved her carelessly out of the door. She twisted and struggled against their grasp and for just a second Stiles caught her eye before she was escorted away.

The heavy doors were shut behind them and the noise echoed around Stiles' head for what felt like an age. His stomach was rolling and the cold hard stone floor and wall was giving him cold shooting pains up into his body. He'd never normally get cold. Stiles concentrated on the thoughts of his dad and Scott, the warmth there faint from a familial association of their presence if not the connection actually pulsing right now. It was painful but fuelled Stiles' determination to survive this ordeal.

"The Lady Katherine Argent," Stiles' attention was snapped back to the current scene in front of him at the sound of the introduction. Gerard's attention too had been caught by the woman now entering.

"Ah, my dear Kate. Tell me did you enjoy your hunting trip? I didn't expect you back quite so soon," His affectionate and calm voice was jarring from how Stiles had seen him thus far.

"I didn't expect you to be doing your own hunting in my absence," She countered sweetly as she crossed the room from an archway behind the throne to Gerard, stepping up to him and kissing his cheek. She didn't glance in Stiles' direction once but he could understand well enough she was talking about him.

"You came back because of _my _quandary, what of your own?"

"False information," she told him, scoffing in disgust.

"And the source?"

"Dealt with," Gerard cocked his head to one side, and Kate sidled back over to him.

Stiles would have sworn he saw the woman give a sideward glance to Derek before smirking and cupping her hand to whisper into Gerard's ear. Gerard listened carefully and then nodded to her. She was clearly a confidant of his. Gerard glanced around the room and Stiles stared back. When Gerard realised his was conscious his lips curled back into a sick sneer. Stiles did his best to glare back but he felt so cloudy it doubtless came across to him a withered acceptance or drunken haze.

"Perhaps you would like to consult on our current quandary my dear?"

"What is it?" Still she didn't look in Stiles' direction as she spoke about him.

"Demon,"

"Then why isn't it dead?" If Stiles couldn't tell they were related, he could _tell_ they were related.

"He has powers, and he could lead us to the rest of its nest,"

"You plan to torture it?"

"Convince." Gerard corrected her, though Stiles could imagine little difference in his practice techniques. "Morrell's girl was up here just before your arrival. Tells me that any aggression against these creatures, invites a greater force upon the attacker,"

"So don't do it yourself,"

"She says the creature can be bonded with. That someone bonded to it can't be reciprocally hurt,"

"Derek can take him," Kate volunteered waving a hand in Derek's direction. And Stiles saw Derek clench his fist behind his back. Of all of them he kind of felt safer with Derek. His dad would lock him up himself if Stiles ever admitted feelings of trust for one of them but Stiles certainly didn't trust that Gerard or Kate.

"He needs to be able to extract the information we need. He may be your-," Kate cleared he her throat and Gerard paused, "He's too soft,"

"We can't bond with the demon. It'd ruin our standing in court but it needs to be kept under control, He can do that much,"

"Derek," The older man cooed; he sounded like a snake creeping up on his prey getting ready to asphyxiate it.

"My lord,"

"You will take the demon. And bond with it." Stiles saw Derek shoot him a cursory glance. His face slightly paler and his eyes were wide as if panicked.

"My lord, when my kind bonds that's," His kind, Stiles snorted. Humans the lot of them. Probably didn't realise most of the fairy tales that told their children were true.

"I know what that entails." He heard Gerard snap. "You will bond with it. Gain the information we need and then kill it when we are satisfied the creature cannot be of any more use,"

"MY lo-,"

"ENOUGH. Leave, and take _it_ with you," Derek was shaking as he bowed his head and strode to the back of the room when Stiles was tied. The guard unchained him at the jerk of Gerard's hand and Derek grabbed him by the arm the second his hands were free. Stiles tried to look up at him as he was pulled to his feet but his legs could barely keep him balanced. He shut his eyes as he was tugged along concentrating primarily on keeping his feet walking one in front of another rather than working out where they were going. He could hear groups of people muttering around them as they passed, some clearly enough to hear futile faith and protection recitations.

"I'm going to throw up," Stiles moaned, half afraid to say anything in fear of retching mid sentence, the other half not entirely sure he was saying the words in the right order. Derek's grip on his arm tightened.

"Don't," He muttered.

"Doesn't feel like I have a choice,"

"You throw up here they'll kill you before you've finished heaving,"

"Sounds like they're gonna anyway,"

"Hold it," Derek snapped. Stiles tried. He desperately thought of everything other than him rolling stomach cramps. Derek did seem so speed up his pace and dragged Stiles down out of the way corridors where there were less and less people around until Stiles had lost track of anything more than attempting not to crumple to his knee when he was shoved down and backwards onto a low bench. Moments later a bucket was shoved under his nose and Stiles' body shuddered and brought up the contents of his stomach before he'd really processed that yes, Derek was giving him a bucket to throw up in. He groaned before another jolting cramp had his stomach heaving. His throat burned. The back of his eyes burned. He spat to get the taste out of his mouth which just left it dry _and_ putrid.

"Can you walk?" Derek asked him, slowly moving the bucket away and shoving it under the bench Stiles was sat on. Stiles followed the movement and then with sustained effort squinted up at him.

"Can you stop swaying?"

"I'm not,"

"Oh." Stiles pushed his palms into his eyes

"We have to go,"

"Make me," Stiles sneered, stubbornly sinking down into a slouch against the wall. Derek took him at his word. He looped an arm around Stiles' back and effectively scooped him up onto his feet. Stiles felt the blood rush from his head and he all but collapsed all over again

"Stop being difficult," Stiles was too light headed to snap out a retort.

"Morrell!" He called out to the small dark room.

Stiles wasn't coherent enough to know from where she came from but a dark faced woman was peering at him closely not a minute later, "I am the one to be bonded. I need the ritual," Derek said plainly. The face disappeared from view

"Malia, go. This is not something you should see," Stiles heard footsteps several feet away and then a door shut across the other side of the room.

"Oh Derek," He heard the woman sigh. Stiles' own eyes were glued to the floor watching the candlelight flicker

"Don't. I do not want your pity,"

"Admiration then," She checked her tone "You are a strong man to carry so much burden with you,"

"'M not a burden," Stiles mumbled, barely able to form the words. He wasn't about to be passive in all of this though. Bonding with a human was unheard of. It was rarely for Fae to bond unless they had been courting for near millennia, humans had such short insignificant lives they were never considered for a substantial bond. Stiles tried to look up at them but his sight and balance were working against him and he swayed uneasily on his feet.

"Well you're more trouble than you're worth," Derek said, helping Stiles sit on the closest bench.

"'S what I do," He tried to smile but everything felt like it was spinning and the only thing steadying him was likely Derek's hand on his shoulder.

"Derek, I can perform the ritual, but is there really no other way,"

"Lord Argent commands I bond with him," Derek lifted his hand from Stiles shoulder.

Stiles kept his eyes on the floor still trying to feel a sense of calm. If only he could reconnect with the Wills, or his sense for his family, his dad; that was what always soothed his twitchiness. The second he got home he was going to work on a way to stop spells like the one he'd last worked from draining the caster. And then send all the bad luck he could muster to this castle.

Morrell crouched down in from of him and he squinted trying to focus on her and what she was saying. She was just coming to the end of her explanation when he could work out some of the words.

"I'm sorry, this might hurt," She said, and then the world felt like it was being ripped away. He gasped for breath as if there wasn't going to get the chance for another.

"Stiles, I know you're going through hell, but you've got to keep going," He heard Morrell's words like a whisper through a silence so deafening. It was as though all of life was tearing through him but he couldn't grasp any of it. He was adrift and alone. So alone in all this white noise. He heard the words repeated back to him like a delayed echo. Alone. Completely alone.

"Stiles," That voice, oh that voice. It felt like an anchor that was bringing him back to himself again. There was someone else that could end all this. He gasped and suddenly the colours all around him were sharpening in to shapes ad objects. His eyes drifted to Morrell who was stood above him and the down to Derek who was crouched at his side. He felt safe as though this was how it should be. It was both deeply satisfying and then almost as suddenly extremely repulsive. He felt nauseous again and then he was on his hands and knees, doubled over and spewing what little was in his stomach onto the floor. It was so empty to be connected to one person. He reached for the Wills that had been there to guild him all his life and felt nothing. He was deserted. His home must think him dead. He sank further to the floor and wailed. The loudest cry of anguish he could manage to rip from his lungs. His vocal chords hurt but he still couldn't stop.

In the back of his mind he could feel Derek's panic. It was Derek's voice in the background begging Morrell to make him stop. It must be such an incredible inconvenience having access to all the despair and emptiness Stiles was feeling right now. He blacked out.


	5. Getting To Know You

When he came to he'd been laid on a long cushioned couch, the crackling sounds of a fire behind him felt familiar and comfortable if nothing else did and he shut his eyes to reach for it in his mind. There was nothing. No connection to the elements, and no sensation of his kin reassuring him through this nightmare. He still felt so empty.

Slowly and still unsure of his surroundings he turned over and pushed himself to sit up. The room he was in was huge and there were in fact two fireplaces, one at each end both with fires burning brightly in them. He could feel the warmth of the closer one on his skin but that didn't stop the hairs of his arms standing on end and a shiver wracked through him when he concentrated on where his connection to his dad and Scott and his kin ought to be. He groaned and rubbed his fingers over his forehead.

"I'm glad you're awake," He jerked his head up. He hadn't realised Derek had been sat in the dark corner of the room until he'd stood and stepped out of the shadows. "How do you feel Stiles?" Derek knelt down next to the sofa and reached slowly for Stiles' wrist. Stiles pulled it just out of reach. Derek was watching him carefully but he didn't move to grab his hand. A soft couch as opposed to chains, hesitation and cautious consideration instead of aggressive manhandling; He shouldn't trust this man more than anyone else he'd met after two brief confrontations, he knew he shouldn't. A pull in his gut told him otherwise. He hoped it wasn't the spell. He really hoped he could believe that this was his own instincts trusting this soldier who hadn't seemed like he wanted Stiles dead. Hesitantly he moved his hand back into Derek's reach. Derek took it carefully, two fingers coming to rest on his pulse at his wrist. Stiles felt the tension in his head and his stomach ease. Perhaps this was what mates could do for one another.

"Cold. Cold and empty," He answered...And lost and scared deep in his gut, all things he didn't want to admit. "And I don't remember telling you my name,"

"You told my sister your name when you healed her,"

"This is a funny way to say thank you,"

"This wouldn't be my choice,"

"Yeah, I figured," Stiles pulled his hand out of the tender grasp. Derek sat back on his heels but didn't move too far away. He bit his lip and kept his eyes on Stiles. Another shiver threatened to shake him to his core Stiles determinedly kept himself still as possible.

"What do you eat?" Derek asked, his head cocked to one side. It reminded him of the way Scott looked when he revealed a new trick. Curiosity and confusion all rolled into an expression that was endearingly amusing; had it been on someone other than a glorified gaoler.

"Human souls," He watched Derek's eyes as they flickered up to meet his at the comment. He stared back at Stiles for but a moment before replying dryly.

"We don't have a jar of those on hand right now,"

"Pity," Derek waited as if expecting Stiles to answer seriously but Stiles just couldn't find it in himself. When it finally dawned on Derek that Stiles was unlikely to answer he pushed himself to his feet and crossed to the fire to tend it with a long poker. Stiles immediately wondered if it were soon to be used for less savoury activities.

His gut clenched and fear induced wince Stiles only curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his knees and hugging them tightly.

"Are you cold?" Derek asked when he glanced up, noticing Stiles' shivers.

"Yes,"

"Come sit by the fire,"

"It won't help," with a sigh Derek moved back over to him and sat down on the floor, leaning against the couch by Stiles' feet.

"Then what can I do?"

"Nothing," he said it with as little expression as possibly though bitterness was filtering through regardless.

"Stiles, I'm trying,"

"You needn't bother. You hate me!"

"It comes and goes," Derek muttered under his breath looking away.

"Whatever that means," Stiles muttered as he sank into the corner of the sofa further; a reply in kind.

"Would it help it I tell you about myself?"

"Go ahead," Stiles waved a hand in his direction, "Absolve yourself of blame and guilt by all means,"

"Nothing could do that," Stiles wondered if Derek could hang his head any lower.

"And if that's not a sentence that'd hook me,"

"I thought… you said you liked stories, sharing knowledge. I-," Derek shook his head and looked away, "Never mind,"

"What do you think you know of me?"

"You like to read, to learn. You're a benevolent trickster spirit who doesn't like to hurt people. You play with them instead and you're careless. Two others of your kind I've seen with you twice now, a guy with dark hair and a dopey smile, and a girl with fiery red hair looks like a force of nature, then again you do too and…" Derek trailed off staring into the fire.

"Have you run out of ideas? I mean most of them are pretty much on track. I'm a little surprised you didn't use the word evil or devil once,"

"Your laugh," Derek interrupted which startled Stiles into parroting it straight back.

"My laugh?"

"It's-," Stiles raised an eyebrow and watching Derek struggle for words. "For years I've, no-one has had anything to smile about let alone laugh for. There's been war and death since before I can remember. But, the way your laugh sounded. I-, we, could hear it echoing through the castle for days after you'd left. Not even Gerard's wrath could stop the feeling, hope I guess, that there was change coming,"

"I stole a few books,"

"You did more than that,"

"Yeah? And look where it got me," Derek leant back looking up directly at Stiles who shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. He turned away and silence stretched out between them. Stiles stared over the back of the seat into the room and slowly dragged his eyes from one piece of furniture to the next, across the fireplace at the other end of the room and over some of the paintings scattered across the walls. He found he didn't care for any of them. He dozed off watching the flames waver the shadows across the carpet.

"Stiles. Stiles wake up just a minute. I'll show you where you can sleep," Stiles stood drowsily and wobbled unsteadily on his feet. Derek shot a hand out to steady him. Stiles flinched at the contact and the hand was quickly jerked away.

"Sorry," He muttered before turning abruptly and leading the way out of the room. The house seemed to get bigger and bigger as the traipsed up the stairs, past multiple offshoot corridors and doorways, then finally swerving off along a corridor lined with portraits; Stiles would otherwise have been infinitely curious about had they not been in the home of his captor. The only route he would need would be the route out of there.

Derek pushed open a door and held it as Stiles entered. The room was huge and lavishly decorated. The bed was made with gold thread curtains hanging surrounding it.

"Sleep well Stiles,"

"Wait!" Derek glanced back at him, "Where are you sleeping?"

"I… probably won't,"

"Oh, uh right," Derek nodded his head and then left without another word.

Stiles _was_ tired, the sheets wear sleek and comfortable, and the room was dead silent; everything that you might like for a much needed long night's sleep. Stiles curled this way and that, unable to get comfortable. He'd never felt as alone as in his own barren mind.

He shoved the covers off and sat up looking around. There had to be something in this room that could make it feel less alien. He shuffled across to where the curtains were letting a sliver of moon light in between where they met. He yanked them back and his eyes fell on a window seat. It was deep enough to lean back on the wall and long enough for his legs if he curled up. The window was clouded with condensation from the cold air outside but Stiles was cold enough already he barely felt the difference. He could only open the window a mere fingers width but nature was rarely silent and he could faintly hear a fox and a pair of owls calling out in the darkness. This was better than silence at least.

He tore the sheets from the bed and threw them into the alcove to cushion the seat, and wrapped them up around himself once he'd sat atop them. He leant his forehead against the glass and listened to the faint sounds of nature on the other side. He couldn't help but let his mind drift to how his dad must be feeling right now; When he got home he'd never be let out again. Scott would be blaming himself. Lydia cursing both his stupidity and that she couldn't have predicted the threat more clearly. He couldn't be there for them and there'd be no rescue coming for a dead guy. He couldn't reach out to them, reassure them, or use his magic. He probably couldn't get home unless this bond was reversed. Tears welled and ran down his cheeks at the thought of everything he knew being so out of reach. As if knowing he needed lulling to sleep a slow patter of rain began to hit the window as a cloudy shower passed overhead.

"Stiles," There was a knock at the door and then his name was called again. Stiles didn't reply but now he was awake he did stretch out his legs and stand. Being curled up to sleep had left his muscles tight and there was no muttered incantation to ease the aches that would work. He gathered up the sheets and threw them in a heap on the bed and he heard a further knock on the door and then it open slowly. Derek appeared glancing around the door to where his gaze fell on Stiles, then to the pile of bed sheets and then back to him.

"Breakfast will be ready in a bit. If you'd like some?" Stiles was about to give some retort when his stomach gave him away with a loud rumble that would have rivalled Scott's appetite on a good day.

"Provided it hasn't got more poison in it,"

"I don't want to poison you,"

"Yeah but does Gerard," He huffed as he pushed past Derek and out into the corridor.

"The breakfast room is this way,"

"A room, a specific room solely for breakfast?" Stiles quickened his step to walk at Derek's side.

"Yes,"

"So you can't eat breakfast anywhere else?"

"I like that room. It gets the sun in the morning,"

"So does outside," He added, prodding Derek in the shoulder as he spoke in an effort to get his attention.

"Well we're not going outside," He said, keeping his eyes ahead of them.

"Do you have a room for every meal?" Stiles asked

"I take lunch wherever I'm working at the time, and then dinner in the dining room,"

"What about midnight snacks? You could be a cut above the rest if you had a room for that," Stiles held in a smile and watched Derek shut his eyes and looked to be internally struggling with his own. Derek turned and met Stiles eyes and Stiles stared back.

"'Snacks' isn't a meal time,"

"They're just as important as one," Stiles waved a finger in Derek's face to both emphasise his point and irk the man some more. Derek's eyes followed it and then flickered back to Stiles' eyes as he pushed it out of his space.

"I'll bear that in mind,"

"You should," he snarked, letting a smirk twist the corner of his lip when Derek looked away.

As they came up on a double doorway the smell of burning meat and flesh caught in the air. Stiles cringed and stepped back.

"Errgh, what's that smell?" Stiles threw a hand up over his nose and mouth

"Breakfast,"

"I don't actually eat souls you know," Derek frowned, still not understanding Stiles' issue.

"Its bacon, and sausages, among other things. Just cooked meats,"

"It's disgusting and repulsive,"

"Well there's more than just that, you can pick from what the cook has made for us," He tried to reconcile but Stiles' stomach was turning from the smell alone.

"I threw up enough yesterday thanks,"

"So you're not coming in,"

"Nope," Derek took a deep breath and sighed.

"Fine," And then turned and pushed the door open. Stiles glared at his back as it swung shut behind him; glared for as long as it took until the door had caught a waft of the smell to hit his senses even stronger. Stiles turned on hi heel and headed back the way they're come. He briefly thought that if he could find the kitchen in this great place he could scare the chef into never cooking meat again. His stomach turned out another grumbling roll and Stiles reconsidered. If he found the chef he would ask, with all the manners his dad had taught him, if he could give him something edible.

"I thought demons were sneaky or elusive or something?" Stiles turned to see where the voice was coming from when a sharp pain caught from his ear and held him in place. Stiles yelped and found he couldn't turn from where the grip held him. From the corner of his eye he could see the blonde woman from the docks that'd stopped Derek from talking to him.

"Shouldn't I be subjected to your wrath by now?" The woman asked with a daring playfulness in her tone. It wholly differed from her fear induced wariness he'd heard briefly the previous time they'd met.

"Not my style," He said through a wince

"Huh, it is mine," She twisted his ear tighter.

"Ow, o wow, yeah, I can see that, feel that, oh please freaking stop," He tried to pulled her fingers from their grip but to no avail.

"You are not going to cause trouble here under my watch," She told him, low and forceful. A force to be reckoned with as much as Lydia might be should she come across an outsider in her midst.

"Yes, yes got it. Please let go," He squinted in hopes of avoiding spilling the tears now in his eyes.

"You will not attempt to escape, you will not hurt Derek or any of his staff, and you will not go into any of the staff's personal rooms," She listed off as if nonchalantly reading off an inventory.

"Erica let him go!" Derek's low growl of a voice came from down the corridor.

"I'm not done!" She yelled back, her nails digging into his ear lobe further, "You will not make a mess of _anything_-,"

"Erica, stand down," The grip immediately vanished at Derek's low and Stiles ducked away from her clasping a hand to his now throbbing ear.

"I was just setting some ground rules," she whined, her eyes were averted to the floor.

"I will be setting any rules if necessary,"

"Nah man she covered just about everything," Derek was tracing him all over and Stiles hated the weak impression he was giving his captors. He could hear Lydia's scolding in his head for giving his nature away so quickly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah fine, well, mostly fine. How often do you practice wrenching peoples' ears from their heads?" He shot her a sideways glance and she shrugged.

"Not often," Erica glanced at him as she spoke and then upon catching Derek still staring her sown set her eyes back to the skirting board.

"Go help yourself to any of the food in the breakfast room," Derek told her and she nodded without looking up.

"Yes sir!" And in the time it took Stiles to look up she was already hurrying down the way Stiles had come.

"Isn't that rewarding her?" Stiles asked as she rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

"I have little enough control over Erica but I have full faith that she's working with my best intentions," He concernedly looked Stiles up and down again, "Even if she can be a little heavy handed," Stiles' hand rubbed his ear lobe some more as the pain dissipated.

"Come on," He beckoned as he turned and heading down the corridor. Stiles scowled after him and then started after him. Derek slowed for Stiles to catch up with him,

"I can't promise I won't break each and every one of those rules. Y'know, just as soon as I know her tricks and how to get away with it,"

"That's probably not very wise, to cross Erica,"

"Never claimed to be wise," He shrugged, throwing his arms out wide.

"Not very smart to reveal your plan either," Stiles rolled his eyes, smirked and snorted.

"There's not better trick than when they know its coming and it still catches you unaware,"

"I'll take your word for it," Derek nodded once. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Derek glance to him once, twice and then again. He was just about to ask if he was bleeding or something when Derek did ask when was troubling him.

"Why did you run off?"

"Run? Pretty sure I didn't run anywhere,"

"I came back out from breakfast and you weren't there," He sounded confused and his words were softly spoken.

"Well I wasn't going in your dead animal room," Stiles sneered. Derek cringed at the sneer as he spat out the words.

"I was going to bring something out for you. When you weren't outside when I came back out I went back to check your room and then heard you yelling,"

"She startled me!" Stiles protested against Derek's raised eyebrow and levelled unimpressed stare. Stiles crossed his arms defensively and pouted. Derek shook his head at gesture.

"Erica's in charge in my absence," he added.

"That'll mean…"

"You need to stay out of trouble," Derek told him. It felt like an order more than advice; Stiles bristled against it.

"Define trouble," He stuck his chin out at the comment. It wasn't as if Stiles had caused any trouble thus far.

"You'd need to ask her to define trouble,"

"No. Way. Does she sharpen her nails to points or something?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't ask. You might give her ideas,"

"Where're we going anyway?"

"Library,"

"Huh?"

"I was hoping you might find it interesting,"

"I've probably read everything in there," Stiles replied offhandedly.

"Then you can sit in there with me while I reply to correspondence. I've had a maid take some breakfast you might like up there too,"

"Well I suppose a library might have a little more life in it than the other rooms I've seen,"

"Life?"

"Yeah, books have smells and stories, they react to touch and they feel as alive," Derek looked at him sceptically, "You don't believe me,"

"The idea seems a little eccentric," Derek said as he pushed open a door and held it as Stiles walked in past him.

"Well, what do humans know?" Stiles asked stepping past him lightly on his feet and then coming to a fast stop as his eyes fell on the rows and rows of bookshelves spreading out in front of them.

"I'm a werewolf," Derek sidled past and over to a table laden with fruit and breads that Stiles barely noticed as he tore his gaze from the books.

"You're a werewolf?"

"Yes. So is Erica, my sisters, and a few others of my staff. I thought you'd be able to tell," he had his back to Stiles as he filled a plate.

"Maybe if I could feel your energy. Your spell took all of that. I thought you were just a really self pitying human," Derek turned back to face him, popping a morsel into his mouth as he circled back past Stiles, "Now I find out you're a self pitying werewolf instead. I guess I know why Gerard looked like you were his least favourite in a room of fifty or so soldiers and guards," He followed Derek as he crossed to sit by a large ornate desk. Derek dropped the plate on the desk as he took a seat in a chair so carefully carved it might have well have been a throne. Stiles immediately scooped up the plate and sat in its place instead. Stiles saw the way a frown began to form momentarily though Derek purposefully ignored the action, keeping his focus on the work he sifted through. He glanced cursorily over the food Derek had chosen as he placed it on the low shelf above the desk.

"As a child I was his ward. Or prisoner of war depending on how you look at it. I was a strong fighter I ended up rising through the ranks of his guard once I had a little instruction," He took out a pen and inkpot from two cubby holes in the desk and began to write as he spoke.

"Your instruction didn't stand up much to fae huh?" He said, popping a slice of apple into his mouth.

"That's different,"

"Why?" He said around eating; his dad would have smacked him a round the head.

"Outside Gerard's library, I thought you could have killed my sister,"

"You would have tried to kill me?"

"I'm glad I didn't,"

"Will you kill me now?" Stiles asked; he'd heard Gerard's words when he'd decided who would bear the bonding. Derek sighed.

"I don't know,"

"They'll threaten her, your sister, won't they? If you don't kill me when they ask you to,"

"Yes," Stiles could empathise with Derek's conflict. He reached out cupping Derek's face with both hands and lifting it up so Derek could only look to him.

"Don't kill me."

"Stiles," Where his fingers rested at Derek's throat and jaw he could feel the tremble that preceded and followed.

"Get me out of Gerard's control and I can save you, your sister, Erica, everyone you're protecting," Derek's eyes closed as he took a deep shuddering breath before he refocused on what was in front of him again.

"I can't trust that you can promise that," Derek removed Stiles hands and set them down on the table brushing his thumbs over the back of Stiles' hands briefly before withdrawing. In truth Stiles couldn't promise that everyone Derek would want safe could be. Stiles would have tried though. Derek returned his concentration to his correspondence and Stiles continued to graze from the breakfast plate as if such an intense moment had never been shared.

He had to stop himself from believing he knew the man in front of him. The energy he knew to be buried in him was evidently subdued from the pressure, fear and threats he couldn't fight. Derek had people he fought for, people that were already used as leverage over him. The werewolf thing was important, and if Stiles could remember more about the subspecies he might have more questions, but looking at the man sat in front of him already suggested a mountain of questions Stiles didn't know if he wanted the answers to.

He'd dreamed about this guy after he'd seen him only once so perhaps this was simply a cruel twist of fate giving him what he'd thought he'd wanted; the opportunity to know this enchanting man better.

Stiles shook his head slightly and willed the thoughts away and leant forwards so that he could read the letters under Derek's hand more easily. Stiles had to lean in close to read his cursive letters upside down. _'My dearest sister'_ headed the page.

"Will I get to see your sister?"

"Cora? Probably." He stuttered and rested the pen against his forefinger as he looked up. He jolted back when after a moment he realised how closely they were sat. "Uh Kate's coming by tomorrow. Cora is part of her personal guard now,"

"Kate's the one I saw in the hall right? In league with Gerard,"

"His daughter," Derek added. The knowledge didn't make Stiles feel any better about her near arrival.

"Will she- is she going to?"

"No," Stiles bit his lip and nodded; trying to believe Derek's conviction and force down the anxiety. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself like his mum and Melissa had taught him to do so that he could think clearly. Explain what it was causing the response so he could tackle it practically.

"They talked about hunting like a game. It was sick,"

"Hunting is more than a hobby for them. It's a quest. If they can't learn from it or use it they'll kill it," He paused, "They want me to get information from you,"

"I won't let you get to my family," There was no uncertain fact of that.

"I guessed as much,"

Stiles watched for some time as Derek shuffled papers, wrote out notations and letters and as he pondered, lifted things from the plate to eat. The silence wasn't tense or stressed, and though his mind kept returning to the many possible things could be inflicted on him should Kate that it to fancy, each time he would feel Derek's arm bump against his knee as he wrote, the contact soothing in absence of his fae's natural connection to each other.

"Is this all you're doing today?" Stiles asked when he began to feel the itch of irritation of having been sat in one place so long. He waved a hand across the desk of mismatched papers, pens and ink pots.

"I'm only here for another few days before I need to go into town. I want to make sure you're as settled as possible before I have to leave you alone for extended periods,"

"I'm not a child,"

"I'm just concerned,"

"You're just keeping your prize safe," Stiles snapped, pushing himself off the desk

"That's not true," Derek insisted but it wasn't as reassuring as he'd surely hoped. Stiles huffed "Just, why don't you take a look around, maybe you'll find something interesting,"

As much as Stiles didn't like to be given instructions there weren't many options; should he choose to wander the house by himself there was a half a chance he'd run into Erica again, and the other half a chance he'd get irrevocably lost. At least in the library he would likely be able to find the door again. In long strides he meandered his way to the farthest shelf and then followed it down, zigzagging through openings and doubling back until he was in a circle of shelves. The warmth and comforting smell only books could secure inside him and whose golden brown spines glistened. Stiles pulled one of the oldest looking texts from the shelf and ran his fingers along the edge of the pages. A spark bubbling under his fingers and though it was felt only as a faint ripple in his mind Stiles could barely hold back a sob of feeling the pulse of knowledge in his very bones. The bond hadn't taken everything from him after all.

This was where Derek found him some time later leafing through a book he wasn't reading but was so old he knew it by the smell alone. Stiles had his eyes closed and his hand spread out wide across the page as Derek approached. When he heard the footsteps stop and no questions or conversation began Stiles opened his eyes.

"You're library _is_ alive,"

"And you can feel it?"

"It's so warm," Stiles ran his fingertips along the elegant writing covering the page with focus he could feel the euphoric rush echoing in its pages.

"I understand you don't want to like any of what's happening to you. But perhaps, I don't know, will this make things better for you?" Derek asked. Stiles took a deep breath to tamper down the feelings so he could focus on the present.

"A little," he nodded, staring up at Derek who gave a small smile.

"I'm glad," he said nodding slowly.

"I don't even know what these are about," his fingertips skirted

"A lot of these books were my family's. They were brought here after-," Derek cut himself off and his head shot up. With a stumble of footsteps Erica shot around the corner of the bookshelves.

"Derek, Kate Argent is here."


End file.
